XFX HD 5450 Review

Introduction:

With nVidia's first DX11 graphics cards on shelves now and mainstream offerings forthcoming, the DX11 market is finally starting to see some competition. Still, ATI has quite the headstart and for the time being nVidia is still left battling ATI's entry level cards with only DX10 options. So for now, budget graphics cards like the HD 5450 seem to be the best option for those looking for a graphics upgrade. This isn't because this card is going to be a powerful gaming solution, because it's not. It will, however, be a robust replacement for your outdated discrete graphics card or on-board integrated graphics unit. The reason for this is that the HD 5450 comes with features that not only improve the graphics performance, but also enhance general computing and HD content. This is thanks to signature ATI technologies such as Stream and Avivo. ATI Stream is a program that can accelerate supported applications improving your system's performance by splitting workloads between the CPU and graphics card. Avivo, on the other hand, is a hardware-based Unified Video Decoder that, along with a built-in HDMI port, allows for smooth HD playback. It is for these reasons that the HD 5450 is a very strong option for the average PC user.

Closer Look:

The XFX HD 5450 comes packaged in a small box that is both stylish and informative. With so much info being available throughout the front and back of the packaging, the end-user should have a very good idea of exactly what the XFX HD 5450 offers even before purchasing the product. All of this info is printed on an outer shell that houses a small white cardboard box. This inner box is where the graphics card and accessories are located, with each being separated by a thin cardboard liner.

The accessories that come with the HD 5450 consist of installation manuals, drivers disc and low profile brackets to allow the graphics card to be used in a small form factor case. There is also an I.D. card that has stored on it all the info for your graphics card. This will allow you to easily retrieve the information without having to remove the whole unit from your system.